Crushed as easily as the paper it sells
PAPERCHASE is a firm which has added gaiety to the nation’s shopping and is particularly popular at this time of year but sadly it is run by snowflakes. I shall not shop there this festive season because I believe in free speech and Paperchase does not.
It recently issued this crawling, cringing, grovel of a statement: “We now know we were wrong to do this. We are truly sorry and won’t ever do it again. Thanks for telling us what you really think and we apologise for letting you down on this one. Lesson learned”.
Crumbs! Whatever heinous crime had Paperchase committed to merit such self-abasement? Wait for it, hold on to your seats! Are you ready to hear such a terrible thing? This is a trigger warning. Retire if you are likely to be offended. The shocking deed was to offer two free rolls of Christmas wrapping paper to purchasers of a mainstream, mass market tabloid newspaper which has been around almost as long as the Daily Express.
It is a paper which attracts top commentators and will carry essays on a range of opinions, some of which have offended an outfit called Stop Funding Hate, whose openly proclaimed aim is to have the media reflecting its own views. It is an organisation which has tried to bully big advertisers such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer into boycotting the non-Left sections of the press and media.
Hitherto such demands have been brushed off with the contempt they deserve but Paperchase has proved as crushable as the paper it sells.
The resulting publicity can have done the firm no good at all. The lesson it really needs to learn is that Britons support free speech so with a heavy heart I shall get my wrapping paper and baubles elsewhere this year.
Meanwhile Paperchase should consider whether the place for snowflakes is on its seasonal gifts or in its PR department. AFTER Prince Harry marries who will be the next royals to cause speculation? Surely Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. For 10 years Beatrice was said to be in a relationship and last year Eugenie was reported as “secretly engaged”. It will be years before George and Charlotte can provide the media with any romantic interest so I suspect these two young ladies will take centre stage. Heaven help them.